Islamabad/New Delhi | Jagran World Desk: In 2017, when the former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif-led Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) party completed its five year tenure and former Pakistan cricket team captain Imran Khan succeeded him in Islamabad, it was for the first time in 70 year old independent existence of Pakistan that a government had successfully completed its tenure. It appears that for immediate future, the 2017 succession will remain an exception in Pakistan as the numbers for an impending no-confident-motion against Imran Khan government stand starkly against him.

The National Assembly session for the no-confidence move is expected to be convened on March 21 and the voting is likely to be held on March 28.

How do the numbers stack up?

In the 342-member Pakistan National assembly, the opposition, under the united banner of Pakistan Democratic Movement, needs 272 votes to remove Prime Minister Imran Khan-led government.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has 155 members and needs at least 172 on its side to remain in power. The party also has the support of 23 members belonging to at least six different parties, according to a Press Trust of India report. 

Opposition leaders claims that the Pakistan Democratic Movement has the support of around 160 lawmakers as well as unofficial support of 40 more MPs. This is 28 more than the magic number that PDM requires to oust Imran Khan led government. 

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What is Pakistan Democratic Movement?

Pakistan Democratic Movement is an official conglomeration of major opposition parties of Pakistan such as Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) of former prime ministers, Nawaz Sharif (currently led by Sharif's daughter Maryam Nawaz) and Benazir Bhutto (currently led by Benazir's son Bilawal Bhutto). The PDM also includes the Awami National Party and the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam faction led by Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

Furthermore, the MPs from Imran's own party Pakistan-Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) too have reportedly defected into PDM, which reports in Pakistani newspapers claim, would vote against Khan's government when the time comes. 

Why no-confidence motion against Imran Khan?

On paper, in official terms, the opposition has cited legitimate reasons such as uncontrolled inflation, economic crisis and rising debt in Pakistan's economic balance sheet as reasons to call no confidence motion against Imran Khan-led PTI government. 

However, over past few months, Khan reportedly grew distant from Pakistan's ‘establishment’, constituted by its Army and Intelligence agencies. Critics of Khan repeatedly claim that he has fallen out with the country's powerful military, whose support is critical for any party to attain, and remain in, power in the way the PTI did four years ago.

However, speculation on this front has been denied by both Khan and the military.

Pakistan is not scheduled to hold General elections until 2023.


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